HBO is taking on Netflix with a standalone TV and film streaming service due to launch in early April – but for now it will be exclusive to Apple devices.

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HBO Now will cost $14.99 a month, and will be available for iOS devices as well as the Apple TV set-top box, providing access to shows like Game of Thrones and Veep.

“We couldn’t be prouder that Apple is our exclusive partner at launch,” said HBO chief executive Richard Plepler, who announced the new service at Apple’s Spring Forward event in San Francisco.

“You will have access to all our acclaimed original programming: past, present and future, as well as our unmatched lineup of Hollywood blockbusters. All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device.”

Although long-anticipated, HBO Now is a significant moment in the US, where access to the company’s shows has traditionally required a cable TV contract. So-called cord-cutters will now be able to subscribe to it on a standalone basis.

“In 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners, and we will explore models with new partners,” he said.

“All in, there are 80m homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.” The company has an existing app called HBO Go which is only available to cable TV customers.

Alongside the announcement, Apple dropped the price of the Apple TV from $99 to $69. “We’ve sold over 25m units so far, and it’s got this very attractive entry-level price of $99,” said chief executive Tim Cook.

“But today we would like to make it even more accessible for even more people so they can take advantage of this great new content ... So if you don’t have one yet, now’s the time.”

Game of Thrones may well be a safer bet than U2; Cook has been playing a long game in TV and it may finally be paying off. As had already been reported Apple will be one of the launch partners for HBO Now, the new streaming service from the channel behind GoT, The Sopranos, Girls and more.

Time Warner, HBO’s owner, had been reluctant to launch a service before for fear of angering the cable companies where HBO is a big draw. But the number of cord cutters is on the rise and TV is finally moving to meet them.